Lesson 1:
The Water Crisis
Student Materials
Contents
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
 The Water Crisis: Student Data Worksheet
 Fine Filters Initial Ideas: Student Worksheet
 The Water Crisis: Student Quiz
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Name__________________________________ Date______________________ Period ______
Water Crisis: Student Data Worksheet
Directions
Using the graphs and maps, answer the following questions. This activity will give you
the opportunity to interpret some of the graphs and maps that you’ll see during the Water
Crisis slide presentation during class.
1. According to the bar graphs in Figure 1,
what percentage of the world’s water is
fresh water?
2. What do these three divided bar graphs tell
you about where the Earth’s fresh water
resides?
Figure 1. Distribution of earth’s water.
Physical water scarcity refers to the lack of water to meet domestic, industrial, and
agricultural needs. Areas of physical water scarcity are shown in red on the map in
Figure 2 below. Economic water scarcity means that an area or country has insufficient
financial resources to deliver safe, clean water to those areas that need it for drinking or
agriculture. Areas of economic water scarcity are shown in orange in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Global map of water scarcity in 2006.
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Answer questions 3-8 based on information from the map in Figure 2.
2. Name the countries or global areas that are experiencing physical water scarcity.
3. What would you predict the climate to be in these areas and why?
4. Name the countries or global areas that are experiencing economic water scarcity.
5. Name the countries or global areas that are not experiencing any water scarcity.
.
6. What do you predict the difference in per capita income (average income per person)
would be between regions with plenty of water and regions with economic water scarcity?
7. The southwestern United States is typically characterized as having a dry, arid climate. Why
might this region be shown as having plenty of water even if it is dry and arid?
1-S3
When water is taken from a natural source for human use, it is called “water
withdrawal.” However, a country can never withdraw all of the fresh water that is
theoretically available within its borders. Much of it is seasonal, or part of flood runoff,
or rain that cannot possibly all be captured. Countries that withdraw a high percentage
of their available fresh water are said to be under “freshwater stress” and are in danger
of becoming considered "water scarce." In the map in Figure 3, the light orange
represents mild freshwater stress and the darker orange represents extreme fresh water
stress. Blue areas are considered to be free from freshwater stress.
Figure 3. Global map of freshwater stress, 1995 and 2025 (predicted).
8. Compare the two maps above, showing freshwater stress from the year 1995 and projected to
the year 2025. What are the changes that you see happening in which areas?
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9. In Figure 4, what trend do you see in
for the global population?
10. What would you predict the global
population to be in 2060? Justify
your prediction.
Figure 4. World population from 1950 to 2050
(predicted).
11. According to the graph in Figure 5,
which sector uses the most water?
12. Which sector uses the least amount
of water?
Figure 5. Global annual water withdrawal by
sector, 1900-2000.
13. How does the trend in water consumption (Figure 5) compare to the trend in
population (Figure 4) for the time period 1950-2000?
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Figure 6. Average daily water use per person for selected countries, from 1998 to 2002.
14. According to Figure 6, which countries consume the most water?
15. Which countries consume the least water?
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Figure 7. Average wealth for selected countries (purchasing power by person in 2005).
Answer questions 16-19 based on information from the graph in Figure 7.
16. How many countries have an average per person purchasing power of less than $10,000?
17. How many countries have an average per person purchasing power of more than $25,000?
18. How many countries have an average per person purchasing power of $10,000-$25,000?
19. What is the difference between the average per person purchasing power in the
highest wealth country and the lowest wealth country?
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Figure 8. Average daily water use per person and wealth.
20. According to Figure 8, does there seem to be a relationship between a country’s wealth and
their average daily water consumption? If so, what is the relationship?
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Fine Filters Initial Ideas: Student Worksheet
Write down your initial ideas about each question below and then evaluate how confident you feel that each idea is true. At the end of
the unit, we’ll revisit this sheet and you’ll get a chance to see if and how your ideas have changed.
Date 1. Why are water’s unique properties so important for life as we
know it?
2. How do we make water safe to drink?
How sure are you that this is true?
Not Sure
Kind-of Sure
Very Sure
How sure are you that this is true?
Not Sure
Kind-of Sure
Very Sure
End of Unit
Evaluation
End of Unit
Evaluation
S9-1
3. How can nanotechnology help provide unique solutions to the
water shortage?
4. Can we solve our global water shortage problems? Why or why
not?
How sure are you that this is true?
Not Sure
Kind-of Sure
Very Sure
How sure are you that this is true?
Not Sure
Kind-of Sure
Very Sure
End of Unit
Evaluation
End of Unit
Evaluation
Name__________________________________ Date______________________ Period ______
The Water Crisis: Student Quiz
Write down your ideas about each question below.
1. What does it mean to have “clean fresh drinking water”?
2. Explain the term “water scarcity.”
3. Does water scarcity have an impact on human health? If so, what are some of
the consequences?
4. Describe three reasons why some nations are experiencing a scarcity of clean
drinking water.
5. Why is the water scarcity problem projected to increase?
6. Which sector––domestic, industrial, or agriculture––consumes the most water?
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